Page 3 Advertisements Column 6

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12283, 9 July 1914, Page 3

:tract of an Article by John Phillimore, Reprinted from London Evening ]S T ews, March 28th, 1914.) The New Maxwell '"""' * A T the. request of rne MAXWELL MOTOR COMPANY, LIMITED, of ■£* 212, Groat Portland street, W., I took out for a test run their New Model Five-sealed Touring Car. The Car is of 18-22 nominal horse-power, Ihe 4-rylindor engine dimensions being ;}£ a nd -U inches. As this ear is priced at a Low Hgure. complete with hood, side curtains, and hag, screen, live lamps speedometer, etc., I was determined to give it a severe test in order to find out any weak points. the route I chose was via the Crystal Palace, Bromley, Sevenoaks, Tonhridge, to Tunbridge Wells, and home by Titsey and Westerham. This round is rather longer than I usually take, since in order to get both Titsey and Westerham hills I had to go out of my way. With a car costing £3OO to £4OO, one has a right to expect certain good features, but with a cheap car. which seems (o offej a lot for the money, one has every right to be sceptical until the car's performance has convinced one favorably. Thus I started out on the run, with the full determination to find out all the faults I could, but I have now no severe criticism to make. In the case of the MAXWELL the general design is both accessible and simple, the two. qualities which are essential. Tile cylinders of the engine are cast in one, with the top half of the crank case and the heads separate, so that this casting can be easily removed together with the valves. Thermo-syphon cooling is used, and Simm's British high tension magneto. Adjustable Mixtures. The carburettor took my fancy, for the reason that the petrol supply can bo altered while the engine is running and without taking anything to pieces. The horizontal jet is in the form of a tube, with four different sized holes in the circumference. By simply turning the tube round —and this can be done externally with finger and thumb—the mixture can be made richer or weaker as required. I found the engine was good at pickiug up its speed under load, and pulled well at slow revolution rate. A cone clutch lined with motobestis transmits the power to a separate 3-speed and reverse gear-box, which is of neat design. The rear axle contains a bevel drive and differential gear, and the engine lubrication is by means of splash, the big_ end bearings being fitted with scoops, which dip into troughs, and the oil is supplied to these by a plunger pump. The suspension of the car is by semi-elliptic springs both in front and behind, and both sets of brakes work on the rear wheel drums. Hand throttle and variable spark levers are placed under the steering wheel, and an accelerator pedal is also supplied. The surface of the Toad up to the Crystal Palace —in fact, most of the road to Tunbridge Wells —is about as bad as it could be just now, and the car was not spared in any way. Four people were carried, averaging over 12st. This load, together with the fact that the road surface was heavy, made the hill-climbing performances more praiseworthy. But to return to the suspension, I was quite satisfied with this, both from the rear seats and also the front, and no jarring or swinging was experienced even when running over the worst portions of road. On the level, with full load, the car is capable of a speed of about 40 miles an hour, and from the back seats is quiet and smooth in running at any speed. Titsey and Westerham. I was quite surprised with the way the car tackled the hills. On the outward journey the first part of the Crystal Palace hill required 1 seoond speed, since it was not possible to rush it, while the last part, which is the steeper, was done on top. The stiff winding hill into Bromley from Shortlands only required a change of gear for the last fifteen yards, and the hill into Sevenoaks was defeated on the high gear. The steering control is good, being very light and steady, and the brakes are smooth and powerful in operation: The body appeared good value, and the general appearance of the car ifl neat and does not look cheap. The gear changes, both up and doown, can be easily and quietly made, and the usual good American practice of supplying a lever to "shut," "cold," or ''hot" tho air is employed. The slope up to the Crystal Palace n the return journey was done on top speed. One of these cars was shown at the Dunedin Winter Show, and attracted Great Attention, coming in for a considerable amount of praise, surprise being? expressed at the Wonderful Value Offered for the Money: £260 for the Five Passenger and £250 for the Two Passenger Car. A Test was made in Dune-din with four big people on board, the car going right from bottom to the top of High street without once having to use the low gear. Several Orders were Booked, and it is certainly a compliment to the car that an experienced motorist such as Mr W. Lory, of Dalgety and Co., has booked an order for one of the f-st to arrive in Oamaru, which is due shortly. f C CCH Dl ST ■ «b &Ji IrC 1 I™ I &■■ Baa SHRI % Sai Bam j THE LOCAL AGENT.